Illuminating attachment for telephones



July 18, SM I ILLUMINATING ATTACHMENT FOR TELEPHONES Filed Dec. 14, l93l Patented July 18, 1933 I i i v UNITED STATES PATENT oFFic ELIZABETH SMITH, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI ILLUMINATING ATTACHMENT FOR TELEPlHONES Application filed. December 14, 1931. Serial No. 580,744.

This invention relates to improvements in and 9 the post of the same. On this post I an illuminating attachment for telephones, apply my improved illuminating device and has for its 'objecta suitable electric bulb which consists of a band 10 constructed prefpositioned conveniently above the" dial so that erably of two parts and hinged together by L? the dial may be clearly seen, the bulb being the hinges 11, this arrangement making it automatically illuminated when thereceiver convenient for attaching the band to the post is removed from the hook. as shown. I l i 1 A further object of my invention is to'con- On the interior of the band isplaced a strip struct an illuminating attachment which can of felt or other fabric 12 which provides a 10 be readily attached to the post of the telesuitable binder to prevent slipping out of set I phone instrument without in any manner position as well as to prevent marring the marring the instrument, nor interfering with surface of the instrument, This band is firmthe functioning of same, nor interfering with ly clamped around the post by bolts 13 passed the transmitting current. I through the .ears let formedonboth halves of The electricityforilluminating the bulb is the band. v furnished by a suitable connection with the The band is also provided with an elongated. h h ld k t depending arm 15 to which is attached a sock- The primary object is to construct a device, ct 16 in which is supported an electric bulb carried by the phone and lighted by the re 17, and on the socket or otherwise convenientmoving of the receiver from the hook, and eX- 1y QC ed is & Shad 18 f defieotingtll'e rays tinguished when placing the receiver back on Of llght directly upon the dial positioned on the hook. the base of the stand.

My improvement consists in the novel ar- On on side'of the band is formed an exrangeinent, construction and combination of tens1on 19 in which is located the contact parts as will be more fully hereinafter demechanlsm and in describing the same, it is scribed, definitely pointed out in the claims, W ll to refer to Figure 5. In the extension and illustrated by the accompanying draw- 8 med a bOre 20 extending a reasonable ing, in which similar reference characters or dlstallc? 111130 the y of the extension and q numerals indicate similar parts in each. of p ates into a smaller bore 21. In this oi) the Several VieWS bore is seated a stem 22, its upper end hav- I Figure 1 is a view of a telephone instrug a head 1' plunger 23 of a size to snugly ment showing my illuminating attachment fit h re 20, and in the bore between th li d th t head and base of the bore is placed a spring,

Fi 2 i a f t i f th tt h t the tendency of which is to elevate the head with a part in section showing the Contact when pressure is removed from the top theremechanism; of, and when pressure is applied the spring Figure 3 is a side view of the same; 1S pr ssed. Figure 4 is a top plan view; On the upper end of the head, I place a Figure 5 is an enlarged sectional View of disk 24 of insulating material as it is designed the make and break contact mechanism emto contact with the under side of the metalbodie d in my invention; lic hook 25 by which the receiver 26 is sup- Figure 6 is a detail view of a portion of the p rted, and immediately when the receiver telephone instrument showing the contact is removed, the hook elevates creating the 45 mechanism relative with the receiver hook; lgph ne C011I1e0ti0n and at the same time 5 Referring to the drawing in'detail, 8 repretached a conical shaped head 27. It is conand permitting the head 23 to elevate also clos- Figure 7 is a diagrammatic view showing ing an electric circuit, the manner of which the electric circuit in connection with the will now be described. appliance. On the bottom end of the stem 22 is atsents an ordinary desk telephone instrument, nected thereto by a screw the purpose of which is to permit the assembling of the stem in the interior of the extension. In the lower end of the extension is formed a cavity 28, inthe same is inserted a metallic ring 29, insulated from the body prtion of the ex tension by fiber bushing 30, this ring acting as one of the contact points and it is provided at its under edge with a counter sunk formation acting as a seat for the conical shaped head 27 carried by the stem 22.

By this arrangement, when the hook is elevated the spring raises the head bringing the conical shaped head in contact with the ring '29 thereby closing the circuit and illuminating the bulb located above the dial.

hen the receiver is placed on the hook, its weight lowers the same automatically compressing the head and breaking the con tact which will extinguish the light, thus by thehandling of the receiver the light is automatically placed'in operationL.

The electrical connection is by meansrof a cord provided with plug inserted into an ordinary socket of the household, and the wiring between the contact and bulb is done in any manner well known to the trade.

The appliance is so constructed as to make it positively safe from shocks, as all manner of contacts are safely protected from communication by the hands.

Where the device is used on box telephones,

the bulb is positioned separately above the dial, and connected to the automatic contact by separate'wiring instead of being arranged on theattachment as hereinshown, but the method of making and breaking the circuit is the same. Some changes maybe made in the,con-

said conduct-or.

attachable to the standard of the instrument,

a switch on said clamp located so as to be positioned adjacent the receiver switch arm of the instrument and having an actuating element engage'ablewith the arm when so positioned, one of the contact elements of'said switch being completely housed within said a clamp, a lamp mounted on said clamp in position to illuminate the instrument dial, and

connections. for detachably connecting said lamp and sw tch in a house circuit.

2. An illuminating attachment for dial telephone instruments, comprising, a carrier, clamping meansv adapted for mounting said carrier on the standard of the instrument, a lamp on said carrier positioned when so {mounted to illuminate the dial, a switch on sa d carrier located when so mounted adjacent the receiver supporting means of the instrument and adapted for automaticact'uation to close the switch, when tlie receiver is lifted from its support, one ofthe contact elements of said switch being completely housed within said clamp,'an extension conductor connected in clrcuit with said lamp and saidswitch, and an attachment plug on i ELIZABETH SMITH. 

